Adam Silver Addresses Future Of Olympic Basketball

Nobody quite knows how Paul George’s injury will impact USA basketball going forward. Will stars stop playing? Will the L create a new international tournament? It’s too early to say. Today, though, commissioner Adam Silver tried to shed some light on the matters at hand. From USA Today:

In a lengthy e-mail that detailed the benefits of international basketball, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told USA TODAY Sports, “I don’t anticipate a major shift in the NBA’s participation in international competitions.”

“Of course, there’s no doubt that this will be a hot topic at our next NBA Competition meeting in September and our Board of Governors’ meeting in October and we will continue to evaluate the pros and cons of participating in international tournaments.”

“Basketball has unquestionably taken incredible strides since 1992 when NBA players began playing in the Olympics, not to mention, the jump many of our players have made in terms of ability, leadership and passion for the game by playing for their home countries,” Silver wrote. “Injuries can happen any place at any time. The experiences our players have enjoyed by participating in their national teams, however, are ones that are unique and special in almost every other way.”